“There are even more people who are opposed to this excessive reaction of the authority, such as the taking or carrying off of the children.

“Here an example should be made! The state thus threatens all families according to the motto:

If you are not willing, we apply violence.

“The state is not interested in whether the children are educated or supervised by “ordinary” parents or sect parents or drug addicts. The state here is about the business (or desire) of demonstrating its power.

“These Twelve Tribes were specifically selected… because they educate their children at home?

Homeschooling? Are you crazy? Where then is the state prescribed brainwashing?

End of quote of the reader, “Jungwirth.”

What is then, the primary purpose of compulsory education? According to the English philosopher, John Stuart Mill:

A general State education is a mere contrivance for molding people to be exactly like one another, and the mold in which it casts them is that which pleases the predominant power in the government, whether this be a monarch, a priesthood, an aristocracy, or the majority of the existing generation.

“In proportion as it is efficient and successful, it establishes a despotism over the mind, leading by natural tendency to one over the body.1

Since 2014 I have personally known the Community of the Twelve Tribes by residencies of several weeks in three countries. First, only by chance in France, then planned in Spain, and now also in Germany. In each country, I found everywhere the same good spirit, grace, piety, fear, and humility before the absoluteness of the one God as well as of the salvation offered by His incarnate Son, the Messiah, to lost humanity.

In these communities, the Scripture is not only read and talked about, you will also live and feel it – experience it – for example in:

Kindness and charity, community and a sense of family, overcoming egoism, hospitality, peacefulness, and harmony. It is not paradise – but even where there is defectiveness and failure – they deal openly and honestly and by confession bring restoration.

The only thing I have repeatedly missed longingly into the Community in Klosterzimmern is… your children!

Equating corporal punishment with violence and even abuse is a mistake1 and it was turned by advocates (in the media and government) against children’s deprivation into it’s exact opposite (causing their deprivation!).

Nor is punishment always good and always justified. Little children can come to harm, and this must be prevented or stopped. Those possibly injured must be compensated. The actual “violent criminals” are here clearly all those who have carried out and endorsed the extremely brutal action and action against child and family. Those who do not even have qualms to snatch babies the mother’s breast 2, are soulless beings without hearts… they have taken leave of their senses. One can only commiserate (pity) these poor creatures and pray for them in the hope of salvation.

Horst Seehofer (photo by Ralf Roletschek)

This horror and insanity is right here in democratic Germany, in the “Free State of Bavaria – “…the precursor to Paradise” (campaign Quote 2014 Horst Seehofer / Bavarian Prime Minister)!

70 years after the demise of the dictatorial reign of terror, which caused unimaginable suffering, the damage has not yet been settled.

Discreetly let me say of some companions of other nations, that I have known during my hike on the Camino de Santiago in 2014, that we Germans are often considered arrogant…which still attaches to us the name “Nazis”…

We have to bear a burden and should train ourselves in humility, modesty, and above all peacefulness.

Shalom

Gerhard Schelchshorn

Submitted on 10/21/2015 (link is to a post on the German language blog).

Notes

As a judge in 2012 in Germany had to discretely say – lest he lose his position! – “Whoever punishes every form of physical punishment without differentiation, evens out the profound pedagogical difference between child abuse and clear, child-rearing guidelines of controlled chastisement which are aimed at the welfare of the child and are not administered in anger. No one can argue that the Bible agrees with chastisement as long as it is done within measure and as long as it serves to raise a child lovingly. A state that forbids Christian parents all forms of physical discipline intrudes in a God-given, inalienable right, and restricts not only parental rights but also the freedom of religion that is protected by the German Constitution.” ↩

This is what happened: The nursing mothers were allowed to remain with their babies in a state-run institution. Then, again without notice, a second raid came on December 9, more brutal than the first and without any warrant. A nursing baby was literally torn off of its mother’s breast, and a child with a life-threatening medical condition was not allowed even to say goodbye to his mother. Crying siblings were split up. Even the people at the institution were appalled, knowing full well the trauma being inflicted upon the stunned and defenseless children. A respected villager called the action “beneath contempt“: “This was beneath contempt” complains Manfred Herrmann, a citizen of Dürrlauingen: ”This is not how you deal with people,” says the 74-year-old. He is not sympathizing with the community of believers, but: “What happened there was unseemly.” ↩

Based on accusations of abuse, more than 40 minors of the Twelve Tribes community in Klosterzimmern were taken into state custody, two years ago. The children of Klosterzimmern were brought to the administrative district office in Donauwörth and were examined immediately by medical officers. Despite intensive search, no signs were found that confirmed the accusations or justified the governmental measure1.

The official speakers at the following press conference, knew about these results of the examination, when they portrayed this measure from the state’s point of view. However, the media representatives that were gathered, were not informed about the results of the examination by the medical officer. On the contrary, they described a real horror scenario, that one would expect based on supposed reliable sources.

Also countless conversations were mentioned, in which they tried to make the parents distance themselves from spanking. In the meantime social workers (youth welfare agents) have admitted themselves that these never took place. What did happen was a horror scenario, but certainly not there where it was expected and thoroughly searched for, on the bodies and souls of the children that were taken into custody. The horror scenario happened in the rooms of the administrative district office Donauwörth, when the children realized that they were not going to be released to go home, as they were promised on their drive there, but would be brought to foster parents and foster homes. Those who were involved speak of horrible scenes and screaming.

The mass seizure on September 5, 2013 was a historical event in the history of the Republic of Germany. Before 1945 such collective measures against ethnic or religious groups were known as ‘kin liability’ (or clan guilt, sippenhaft2). What happened on September 5, 2013 in Klosterzimmern and Wörnitz is extremely alarming to international law.

According to international penal code it fulfills the facts of genocide, especially in light of this, that except for generalizations, neither the request of the Jugendamt (youth welfare office) nor the court order to withdraw custody for the children of the community of the Twelve Tribes, assign any specific wrongdoing to a specific person or family.

Par. 6 of the international penal code identifies such an act as genocide3:

Whoever, with the intention of destroying a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group completely or partially, (…) transfers a child from the group to another by force…

In the meantime experts who have been ordered by the family court in Nördlingen have also come to the same conclusion in their psychological examinations, as the medical officer did on the day of the violent seizure:

The children were safe with their parents

The head of the family court, Mr. Beyschlag, made it clear at the press conference on Sept 5th, 2013 in the administrative district office in Donauwörth, that the family court can act quickly.

The impression is growing, that after two years the “Jugendamt” (youth welfare) and the family court are still desperately trying to find evidence, to justify their initial requests and decisions. For this reason the children also are being influenced massively and adjusted against their parents, their religious convictions, and way of life. So that is how they try to get negative statements about the child training in our community.

During two years of procedures before the Bavarian courts, we found out, how little the German state is willing to abide by their own rules and what place of value basic rights, the right to live together as a family without state interference, and the right to freedom of religion and conscience have in our country. Unfortunately we must come to the conclusion that we can no longer live a life in responsibility before our Creator here.

So we “break camp” in this country after 20 years of our presence, to find a new home in the Czech Republic and other European neighboring countries. We hope to make homes for families there again, where we can live our peaceful and communal life according to God’s word undisturbed. The governmental actions towards the communities of the Twelve Tribes in other European countries, that also came about at the instigation the Federal Republic of Germany, give us hope for that.

In the end of 2013 the German officials informed all other countries in which the Twelve Tribes dwell about the accusations of child abuse. The officials in each country started being active in response to that. But even though there were the same accusations, they proceeded as democratic constitutions intend to:

In England the youth welfare contacted all the families, visited them at home and eliminated any concerns in their conversations with the parents and the children.

Even though France responded to the accusations with a massive action as well, they put importance on treating each family individually. The only custody procedure that was started after this action was cleared up in a speedy procedure and the children could go back to their parents after two weeks.

In Spain the procedure was treated with utmost discretion for the wellbeing of the children, and so no information was passed on to the media or third parties.

Through the visits of the Czech officials it became clear that it is still normal for parents to raise their children to obedience and respect there.

Still we will continue to pray that something can change in Germany, so that the Twelve Tribes can live here again in the future, just as it is possible for us to live in other constitutional countries.

Sippenhaft is clan guilt. According to Wikipedia it refers to the principle of families sharing the responsibility for a crime committed by one of its members. Practiced by totalitarian regimes such as Communist Russia and North Korea and also by socialist regimes such as National Socialist (Nazi) Germany. ↩

According to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article 2, genocide is to “d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;” and “e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group,” thereby, with regards to the Twelve Tribes in Germany, accomplishing “c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;” not to mention the second part of “b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.” ↩

The writer visited us recently, but has watched us closely for a long time…

Good day!

First of all, I’d like to say that I’m not a part of any religion — I’m an ordinary citizen of a small Swabian town. And still, we do live in a civilization that is strongly marked by Christianity and thus my values are based on Christian values.

When I heard that right in Germany several dozens of children were forcibly taken from their parents, I was – mildly speaking –appalled.

Without prior talks, without any verification, apart from the Jugendamt [Germany’s Social Services]… where are we living? In a state under the rule of law or in a state that takes the law into its own hands, where everyone can do whatever he wants?

Who ordered this raid? Who judged and condemned the behavior of these parents? Who is responsible for this? I would like to know so I can personally turn to the responsible one.

My world has been turned upside down and I am severely opposed to this very undifferentiated approach.

You may like or not like some pedagogical concepts, but equating a rather mild disciplinary measure with child abuse is more than scary to me.

I myself would get a “thrashing” from time to time when I was a child — never as an expression of violence, but rather as a symbolic act. This did not damage me by any means, I’ve turned into a decent citizen acting responsibly and “ethically correctly.”

I think it’s an expression of human and ethical degradation that violent games and films are accepted and allowed by society and the state (perhaps because people make a lot of money with these?), but a rather mild disciplinary measure, purposely applied, is classified as a crime.

It seems to me that these children are supposed to be “forcibly civilized” – thus are separated from their parents as long as possible so they would “finally” end up in “normal” life. The only question is whether what we view as “normal” and “civilized” today is actually still “good.” Isn’t a child that has learned to share and that plays with others outside rather than being hooked to the TV or the smartphone, valuable for a future society? Are only children and youth who at a “normal” TV consumption have already watched 18,000 casualties by the time they are 14 and who spend hours typing into their cell phones rather than meeting with their friends, “normal” and “socially acceptable” these parts? Sad, sad…

Go and visit this community! Get your own idea. There still exists a bit of an intact world – right in Germany. Whoever cannot take this is free to go on living his “great, civilized life,” but please leave these people alone.

Give these children back to these people! It is child abuse to separate children from their parents! This measure did much more psychological damage to these children than a few rod strokes they might have gotten.

During my two-week stay in the community of the Twelve Tribes I only saw children with bright eyes. One boy took my boy by the hand right away, because he was a bit shy at first and he showed him everything and was explaining things very patiently.

He really always had such nice, shining eyes. After two years my son still talks about him and wants to help him to come back to his wonderful parents. The boy Noah drew many pictures with my son AND THEY WERE ALL JUST SUNNY, HAPPY PICTURES!

At a common supper one woman talked about her daughter who stayed in the so-called “free world” and went down a wrong path. While she was talking, she started crying; a five-year-old boy got up, left the room, and came back shortly after that and gave that woman a handkerchief. He said,

“Don’t cry, it will all be good again.”

Back then I was deeply touched and thought, ‘What child his age would respond that way where we come from?’ From my own experience as a mother I know that children this age are still very selfish.

The little children there did not know what it meant to take away a toy from another. They are used to sharing everything and helping each other. Do the 2 to 4-year-old children in this technocratic world act that way? I ask all mothers this question.

It really is a shame for us to scorn such kind-hearted people, and to take away happy, compassionate, helpful children from their parents, who only taught them all the good in life, and to conform them to our behavior patterns by force!!! … with all that goes along with it – television full of crimes, thrillers, violence, sex, and negative news, computer games, smartphones, which only harm our children.

These children differ in the way they treat each other, the adults, and the animals from our children in the positive! And all this good you, “dear ladies and gentlemen,” who think you are civilized, want to destroy??? … instead of being happy that there are still a few children and adults like that on our planet… living like in little oases, being self-sufficient, and not harming anyone else, but only helping everyone else.

In the Twelve Tribes there is a place for everyone who does not see a chance in the world anymore. Also outcasts, abandoned, and handicapped people were welcomed, and they feel loved and only change for the better. I only saw people like that there.

Even the animals there live like kings. The cows have a bright, huge barn with the gate wide open and they can go in and out as they please. The goats, who were described to me as aggresive by many Austrian owners, there they are friendly and tame. The goatherd who I talked with about this phenomenon, said to me, “If we understand them and love them, then they improve in their character.”

With this letter I send my appeal to all who can still think and sympathize and who the fate in life of these wonderful, unspoiled children souls depends on.

The police raid foray-type at 6 am taking the children from the parents of the biblical community 12 Tribes in Klosterzimmern (Nördlingen) and Wörnitz (Ansbach) – because of the “muckraker” report by an RTL reporter and statements of an “ex-member” of the group – already took place on Sept. 5th, 2013.

Since then, both children and parents have cried many tears over the separation, they have written heartbreaking letters of request (even just for a single visit during a festival at home, which was NOT granted!), they have fought desperately, and experienced painful separations following the brief and infrequent visits (about 2 hours every 3 weeks).

My friend whose 9-year-old son has been having to live first in an institution and now in a remote host family since Sept. 5th, 2013, let me know a while back how the witnesses she put forth were “not accepted.” How can this be in a (supposedly) just and fair trial?

I have visited the Community in Klosterzimmern 2 times and found them to be a wonderful community! They work together creating something I had never experienced before – life with and in nature, harmonious, healthy, with animals, plants, the other human beings.

The large monastery property of Klosterzimmern was wonderfully restored, expanded, and revived!

(Previously, large-scale pig breeding had been taking place there.)

Germany needs people who fashion the old into the new, who live with nature without exploiting it, who live in COMMUNITY, who are there for each other, helping each other! Who live along with their children – who experience and carry further this security from the beginning of their lives.

These believing people would never beat their children so as to injure them!

They love their children just as all other parents do. To bear the current forced separation is so difficult.

Read the impressions of this witness:

“Chaninah seemed to be from the forced taking into care by the state very insecure and helpless and anxious. All three girls spoke with a lot of longing and love about their parents. Ihave no doubtthat thechildren have grown upinanenvironment with a lot of security and care shown by their parents and by other members of the Community. For me there is no doubt that the children love their parents very much and that they suffer from the separation, very severely sometimes.”

Is this tolerable in a “free state under the rule of law”?

Aren’t there some problems of an entirely different dimension in Germany – children who really are in danger, troubles wherever you look? Why do you tear these very children and parents apart at all costs? You could scarcely imagine any more loving and more insistent letters of request than those written by these children.

Please support the speedy reunification of the affected parents and children in Klosterzimmern and Wörnitz!

Please finally let these religious people mold their lives self-determinedly again in peace, freedom, and responsibility!

Cordially,

A. R., mother of 2, pharmacist

Note: This letter will also go to the press and some public figures. It is an expression of genuine concern. Are these parents being treated with HARSHNESS deliberately because of their Christian faith?

Statements have been made such as, “If you all leave the group, you will get your children back.”